“Yeah.”
He sucked his tongue and then nodded.“You were always angling for a spanking, even as a kid, like it was a right you were entitled to.I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise you’d still want it as an adult too.”
“Wow, was that an acknowledgement that I am an adult?One who can make perfectly well informed decisions for herself, thank you very much.”
He bowed his head, but only for a heartbeat, then his gaze was laser tight with hers again.“What Marsh has printed, it’s pretty damning, pretty black and white, Alle.Are you sure?I mean, he seems pretty ready with his fists.He punched, Marsh, remember, and those… on your legs, they look pretty painful.”
She sighed, and did her best to swallow some of her emotion.“I’m sure, Ewan.I know what I’m doing.Marshall’s spinning things in a particular way.He’s not presenting the whole picture.”
“Have you read it?”
She shook her head.“I’ve not had the chance to yet, but I’m already aware of the full story.There’s not going to be anything in there that comes as a surprise, besides our brother’s propensity for shit-stirring.”
“That’s a little strong.”
“Is it?What does the world gain out of this story?Nothing.It’s titillation, nothing more.It’s designed to ruin lives.No one is going to benefit from this story.The events are a decade old, and they were dealt with then.You want to know what happened?Spook’s not an abuser, Ewan.He’s not a rapist.It went to court and it got fucking dismissed because she’s a lying cunt.That’s what.She condemned herself with a bunch of recordings she’d created.And now, now I’m sure she’s making some nice money selling her perverse little story.It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a screenplay in the works.”
He grimaced, and scratched at his beard.
Alle sighed deeply.Cold was seeping into her body now that the adrenaline rush was wearing off.
“Is it not bad enough that she ruined his life once for something he never did, without our brother aiding her to do the same thing over again?The injustice of it makes me want to gag.And you know what the biggest problem is?That I can actually believe this of my brother.He’s always been a dick.I’m sure he’s clapping himself on the back right now over all this gobshite and waiting for his Pulitzer nomination.Stuff anyone whose lives he might have ruined in the process.He’s absolutely the worse sort of hack.Seriously, right now I want to dismember him with a spoon.”
“And you wonder why I’d rather hang out with polar bears,” Ewan muttered.His lips mushed up into an apprehensive pout.“Dammit.Get in the car.I’ll drive you back and you can go and see how your man is holding up.”
“Really?”
He nodded.
Alle gave him a hug before she got in the car.The front passenger seat this time.
“Can I have your phone?”she asked as they belted up.
“Why?”he asked, handing it over nevertheless.
“I want to read the damn article so I know exactly how bad it is.”
“What’s wrong with your phone?”
Alle shrugged.“Flynn knocked it out of my hand.”
